Mechanical fish bait



July 6, 1948. c, T 2,444,707

MECHANICAL FISH BAIT Filed March 22, 1946 4 JNVENTOR.

6502/4; Q fia/ez I jointed as at l3, the outer ends Patented July 6, 1948 MECHANICAL FISH BAIT' Charles D. Mather, Ess exville, Mich; Application March 22, 1946,. Serial No. 656,251

6 Claims.

1 This invention relates to artificial fish baits and more particularly to an animated fish lure for catching game fish in general.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design an animated fish lure that has every apdrawn through the water.

Another object is to provide an animated bait provided with propeller mechanism for actuating the legs etc. as the bait is drawn through the water.

A further object is to provide an artificial bait provided with means for driving the actuating In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side-elevational view of my improved animated bait.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof, the broken lines illustrating the leg movement.

Fig. 3 is a part-sectional, side-elevational view.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, sectional a fish lure of this nature.

Eyes 9 are provided in the body a fish line attaching eye as usual, and I is provided in the nose proved manner, and legs L are pivotally secured to said clip by means of pins l2, these legs being l4 being pdvotally l5 as usual, said legs I6 to simulate a live connected by means of pins terminating in webbed feet frog.

A horizontally disposed, rearwardly extending rigidly attached to the clip memvertically disposed section l8is fixedly mounted thereon, said section having an eye 19 in the upper end thereof and for a purpose to be presently described.

The bait is adapted to be propeller-actuated as it is drawn through the water, a vertically disposed propeller shaft 20 being journaled in the 8, the upper end being shaped to form a crank 2|, and a propeller P being mounted on the of the shaft, and outwardly diverging spokes 23 mounted through said hub with the ends 24 being bent downwardly as shown. I

Blades 25 are hingedly mounted on the spokes 23, the outer end of each blade being cut away as at 26to accommodate the depending section tudinal center line of the bait body.

In other words, each blade is in vertical position with the water pressure forcing it against the swing the blade Fig. 4 of the drawing.

One end of a link 21 is connected to the outer end of the crank 2|, the opposite end being connected to a connecting rod 28 as shown, said rod cated and the movement of the legs l2 will be synchronized.

The bait is especially adaptable for casting and trolling, and as it is drawn through the water, the propeller P is rotated, the crank 2i actuates the rod 28 through instrumentality of the link member 21, providing a reciprocating motion of the slide 29 on the guide l1, and inasmuch as the member 30 is rigidly connected to the slide 29 and forrns' a lpart of the reciprocal-aw structure withits ends pivotally'cbrin'cted to the legs, it will be obvious that reciprocation of the slide 29 will actuate the legs to simulate the leg movement of a live frog when swiinmiiig,--and rotation of the propeller provides water turbulence similar to that produced by the frcigs front legs. The movements attract the attention of thefish so that when the strike is made, the fish is impaled and caught on the hooks H which are connected tdthepins l5 that form' the jointsin'the "legs.

*Frorrithe foregoing-description, it will-be clearly "bbvious' that I have perfected a'very simple, prac- -1ii al -arid SlibS'tantial-fiSh lure Wh'eieby live "fish induced to Strikeout-at the' 'bait and thereby the iishho'oks and caught.

become impaled upon What rue-rm is:

"IfiA fish bait of the character described compiisingfa 'body ni'einber to-which a fish line is *ada'ptedtobe attached: a vertically disposed prol pller shaiftmounted in "thebody, a crank on thefupper end thereof, apropeller mounted on the lowerend-'ofthe' shaft, legs pivotally connected to{'saidhodyhnember, a connecting rod, a= link pivota-Ily' connecting said crank and rod, means connected to 'said connecting rod for actuating' said legs as' the propller driven, and hooks connected "to said le'gs, r

2.'*A construction as den" dinzil'aini lin which the propelleris'equippedwith pivotally connected blades, and stops for limiting the swinging movement of the blade in one direction.

3. A construction as defined in claim 1 in which the legs are jointed, and. means for guid- 5 ing the legs as the connecting rod is actuated.

4. A construction as defined in claim 1 in which a horizontally disposed guide projects rearwardly from the body, and a vertically disposed eye intermediate the length of the guide and in 10'which the connecting rod is slidabiy movable, said legs-actuating means comprising a slide on said guide, and a bridle mounted on said slide and having pivotal connection with the legs for synchronizing the movement of the legs as the propeller is driven.

'5. A mechanical fish bait of the class described comprising a body member having a fish line attached thereto for drawing it through the water, a propeller shaft journaled in the body, legs pivotally connected to said body, a crank on one erldof the shaft, a propeller'on the opposite '-'-end,=-a"hori'zcntally disposed guide rodprojecting from the rear'erid of the body, a slide movably "mounted thereon and :having pivotal connection with'said legs,-arid links connecting said slide'and "crank for reciprocating said-slide when the propeller is actuated. GS A construction as defined in claim 5'in' which the legs are jointed, and fishhooks connected to 0' the jointed section -of the-legs.

CHARLES D. MATHER'.

of record in the ""Nur'nber Name Date 6383385 Peterson et al. Dec. 12, 1899 2,221,381 Hos'mer '-Nov. 12, 1940 

